In the game of poker, players must work with a lot of incomplete information. Fortunately, unlike other games, poker is much about the players. We all know that humans are predictable, which can be an advantage for professional participants. So to a large extent, poker is about reading the opponents by looking for signs that might indicate the strength of their cards. 

One of the elements of the game that can provide an advantage is the position at the poker table.  

What is poker table position?

There are different types of poker, and in some variants, players take turns as the dealer. In this case, a player’s position depends on where they are seated in relation to the current dealer. As the player’s position changes, the role of the dealer moves around the table. In an NJ online casino, there’s an icon on the control panel indicating who the dealer is.

What are the fundamental table positions in poker?

The poker table is divided into foursections:

• Blinds 
• Early position 
• Middle position 
• Late position 

The Blinds are the two positions at the table where it is compulsory to make bets at the beginning of each hand. There is the Small Blind and the Big Blind.

The essence of the Blinds is to get the ball rolling with bets right from the get-go. The early position puts you in a very bad spot on a poker table, as there is a high tendency of the player getting into a poor position after the flop.

The earliest position is the one at the immediate left of the Big Blind. It is also known as “Under the Gun,” and players in this position act first post-flop. There is also the middle position, which offers more advantages than the early position.

Here you have more freedom as regards which hands deserve to be played. It’s not such a bad position since the game is reduced to just a few players at the end of the day.

Then, there’s the late position. This is theoretically the best spot as it is the most profitable. It provides the best position post-flop allowing maximum value and control over the pot size. The last late position is the dealer. 

Fusing poker table position into your strategy 

As discussed above, all the different poker table positions have their pros and cons. Your position at the table places a strong limitation on the preflop strategy. 

For post-flop, players can largely take advantage of their position. Here is a tip; look out for weak players and endeavor to sit at their immediate left. This way, one will have a positional advantage over the weak players both before and after the flop. 

Conclusion 

Don’t ride with the school of thought that suggests the cards in your hands are all that matters. Other elements of poker influence who wins or loses. Your position at the poker table can be the deciding factor. 

Players just have to figure out the advantages that each person provides and make the best out of it.